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I-29 (Soviet Union)
I-29 Yakovlev (Soviet Union) The I-29 is a gift Rank I Soviet heavy fighter with a battle rating of 2.7 (AB/RB) and 2.3 (SB). It was introduced during Update 1.73 "Vive la France" as part of a vehicle giveaway on War Thunder's 5th anniversary. Characteristics The Soviet I-29 lends itself very well to boom'n'zoom tactics. It is a premium heavy fighter in Rank I and carries enough firepower to take on all Rank II planes you will find out there. Its speed resources are comparable to an La-5, a Yak-1B, or a Yak-9B, but in practice you will be able to outrun your opponents by applying the right tactics. It will excel between 1,000 and 3,000 meters altitude and gives a nice edge both when hunting bombers and going after inattentive fighters. The I-29 is a very stable platform in AB, making it an excellent choice for boom'n'zoom, where quick dives and recoveries as well as turns can be performed with a high degree of predictability. When aiming and firing at the enemy the aiming reticle keeps itself steady, making it considerably easier to take down planes even when they are trying an evasive maneuver. Tactics This plane excels at boom'n'zoom tactics, and with a battle rating of 2.7 in AB and RB, it punches much above its weight. You can easily take on all bombers and heavy fighters in Rank II up to a BR of 3.7 by retaining a lot of energy. Keep the speed above 300 km/h at all times and make sure you have at least a slight altitude advantage, and you will rip all bombers, attackers and heavy fighters apart in a couple of seconds. Fighters can definitely be attacked when they are busy dealing with other enemies, by diving and turning simultaneously and shooting short salvoes of deflected shots. Even Bf-109 can be downed by cutting into their curved flight path, shooting MG+cannons with enough lead, and immediately breaking away instead of turning with the enemy. With a bit of advance planning, you can climb up to 3,000 m quickly, dive on enemies and retain almost all your energy by climbing away from nearby enemies. During the re-climb you may even leave faster fighters behind. Put enough distance behind you (2.5 km) before trying to turn around, since the I-29 is not a quick turner. The three 7.62 mm machine guns contain a generous amount of 2,700 rounds delivering a good punch on the enemy compared to other Soviet fighters, while the two 20 mm cannons carry 240 rounds and are extremely effective at its BR. The Universal 20 mm payload contains high-explosive fragmentation shells that obliterate enemies within one or two seconds. Use the machine guns to get your aim on target first, then open up with everything you got. It is lovely to watch enemy planes blow up in flames unexpectedly fast. Specific enemies worth noting The most troublesome enemies are Bf 109s. This is because of their slight edge in most ways, their wing rip speed is higher, meaning they can quite easily dive away and also dive faster. Tthey climb about the same and turn similar / better than the I-29 and their engines don't suffer as much at 3000 m+. Also Spitfires and Japanese fighters cause trouble unless you conserve all your energy for quick climbs away from the enemy. Counter-tactics When encountering an I-29, try to avoid head-ons and make an evasive maneuver to get behind it. If you operate with squad friends, drag the I-29 down to low altitude and feast on its carcass as several planes attack it simultaneously. You may also try to prey on an I-29 while it is attacking another plane, since it has a hard time turning away under duress. Pros and cons Pros: * Very maneuverable for its size * Good guns, they can shred anything when aimed properly * Fast for BR 2.7 * Climbs very well and conserves energy like a pro * Turns rather well for a few seconds, as long as speed is high enough Cons: * Bad engine performance at 3,000m+ (11,000ft) * Low red line speed of 660 kmh or 410 mph * Slow in sustained turns * Awfully disadvantaged when dragged down to low altitude and surrounded by enemies History of creation and combat usage The I-29 Yakovlev, also designated BB-22 IS, was an experimental long-range fighter aircraft developed in the Soviet Union. It belongs to a family of different versions produced prior to Operation Barbarossa, and according to sources there were 73 Yak-2 in service on 22 June 1941, mostly with the 316th Reconnaissance Regiment in the Kiev Military District. Most of these were destroyed in the opening days of the German campaign against the Soviet Union; the 316th mustered only four on 11 July. The aircraft type was produced in the following versions: Ya-22 Prototype for a high-performance fighter and reconnaissance aircraft. BB-22 The original designation of the Yak-2. Yak-2 Two-seat light bomber/reconnaissance aircraft. BPB-22 Blizhiy Pikeeruyushchiy Bombardirovshchik — short-range dive bomber. Prototype only. Yak-2KABB Prototype ground-attack aircraft. R-12 Prototype photographic reconnaissance aircraft. I-29 or BB-22 IS Experimental long-range fighter aircraft. Yak-4 There were plans to develop a light bomber, the Yak-4, but they were not realized due to the lower performance stemming from the weight of the added armament. In 1938 AS in the design office Yakovlev began to work out a new draft of a wooden two-seater twin-engine M-103 with a capacity of 960 hp, which could be adopted for use in three versions: a fighter, bomber and high-speed short-range reconnaissance. The fighter version of the aircraft was considered a priority and so its armament needed to be powerful. It included two ventral cannons and three ShKAS machine guns with an unconventional placing. One ShKAS stood in the bow of the fuselage and the other two in the collapse of the engine cylinders. The firing opening was placed in the hollow shaft gear propellers. In January 1939 the prototype designated ╚samolet 22╩, rolled out to the airfield. It completely lacked weapons. Already in its first flight it was able to prove a speed exceeding 500 km/h and later even reached a speed of 572 km/h. The new high-speed aircraft caught the interest of the country's leadership and Stalin's eye. So the machine was prioritized and sent to the Air Force Institute for the continuation of the flight test program. Here, the high-speed characteristics of the aircraft were been confirmed officially. During the tests "Samolet 22" reached a speed of 567 km/h and a ceiling of 10 800 m, one of the fastest in the world among similar class of aircraft at the time. However, during the tests it was deemed that the aircraft had virtually no combat value. In June 1939 the decision was made about turning "Samolet 22" into a full-speed short-range bomber BB-22 (Yak-2), and it was put into production. The increased take-off weight and aerodynamics dramatically reduced the speed of the new bomber that on serial samples has fallen to 480 km/h. To improve the situation an aircraft engine even more powerful, M-105, was fitted with a capacity of 1050 hp. Equipped with these engines bomber got in the series designation Yak-4 and its maximum speed was 530 km/h. In parallel, work continued on the single fighter version of the aircraft, the I-29. The machine was delivered in the second half of 1940 with the M-105 engines. Its offensive weapons consisted of only two ShVAK 20 mm cannons which was later changed to include three ShKAS machine guns. In December 1940 the aircraft made its first flight. Due to engine troubles the test program was slowed down. It is necessary to take into account the fact that Yakovlev himself was busy fine-tuning the prospective single-engine Yak-1 airplane. After the beginning of the Great Patriotic War (Operation Barbarossa being the German designation), the variant Yak-4 in service were quickly destroyed, and interest in I-29 fell as the focus shifted to one-seated light fighters that were cheap to assemble. Finally, work on the aircraft stopped in 1942 after the launch of a series of heavy fighter Pe-3. Produced versions (...) Sources and links https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakovlev_Yak-2 https://wikivisually.com/wiki/Yakovlev_I-29 https://www.ibiblio.org/pub/academic/history/marshall/military/airforce/sov_mil.txt https://wikivisually.com/wiki/Yakovlev_I-29 https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/russia/istrebitel.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_Union_military_aircraft_designation_systems https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakovlev_Yak-4 https://www.merriam-press.com/yakovlevyak-4bb-22.aspx